Belt-tightener



C. L. RAYFIELD.

BELT TIGHTENER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19. 19m.

1,345,46 1 Patentfid uly 6, 1920.

WW M Tzy 44m.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. RAYFIELD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BELT-TIGHTENER.

Application filed March 19. 1918.

To all whom it may camera.

Be it known that l, CHARLES L. RAYFIELD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Belt-Tighteners; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to devices in which there are belted or similarly connected rotary members, and has for its primary obj ect to provide means whereby said members may be adjusted relatively to one another without changing the relative positions of the parts with which they are operatively connected.

The invention also embodies certain minor details of construction, as hereinafter more definitely will be pointed out and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an end view of an engine and gear case having the gear case cover removed and having my invention applied thereto.

F ig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation and somewhat reduced of the parts shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view showing a modified form of connector for the driving and driven parts of my chain tightener.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view of another form of connector.

Fig. 9 is a view on the line 99 of Fig. 8. As shown on the drawings:

The reference numeral 1, indicates a crank. case of an engine which may be of any type; 2, a gear case which is at one end of the, crank case; 3 the crank shaft of the engine,

for operating the valves of the engine, and

5, the shaft which is usually provided for operating the ump ma neto generator an other mecham sm. ,SBJ shafts 3, 4 and are provided with the gear wheels 6, 7 and 8 Specification of Letters Pa tent.

Patented July 6, 1920.

Serial No. 223,258.

respectively which are connected by means of the link belt 9, so as to be operated from the crank shaft 3. The inner wall 10, of the gear case, is provided with a bearing 11, which has a sleeve 12, mounted to rotate therein, and this sleeve in turn forms a bearng to support the shaft 5. The sleeve 12, is formed at one end of the bearing 11, into a nut 13, which may be engaged by a wrench for adjusting the sleeve 12, circularly, and there is a set screw 14. threaded through the wall of the bearing 11, so as to engage one of a plurality of notches 16, in the face of the sleeve 12, for holding the sleeve 12, in any of its positions of adjustment. At the opposite end of the bearing 11, the sleeve 12, is provided with a disk or hearing 17, which is arranged eccentrically around the shaft 5, and has the gear 8, mounted to turn thereon, likewise eccentrically around the shaft 5. The gear 8, may be mounted directly upon the hearing or disk 17, but is preferably mounted thereon by means of ball bearings 19. which engage in a ball race 18, on the outer face of the disk or bearing 17, and engage a corresponding ball race on the interior of the gear 8. The ball race on the in tcrior of the gear 8, is partially formed on the gear as at 21, and partially on the inner end of a threaded insert 22, so that the parts may be assembled and the gear 8, held securely on the bearing 17.

From the foregoing, it will be noted that the gear 8, is mounted so as to rotate eccentrically around the shaft 5, and also that the sleeve 12, is circularly adjustable so that the position of the gear 8, with respect to the shaft 5, may be varied.

For the purpose of connecting the shaft 5, with the gear 8, so that the said shaft may be 0 erated from the gear in its eccentric relation in any position of adjustment, the

shaft 5, is provided with a disk or plate 23, spaced from the gear 8, which disk or plate 1 may be secured on the shaft or formed integrally therewith, and the gear 8. has an inwardly extending flange 24., as shown, The

disk or plate 23, has a pluralitv of plus 25 which project inwardly to the d 4, the cam shaft which is usually provided the flange 24:, has corresponding pins 26,

T which extend outwardly to the flange 24, an

plate 23, the being arranged in pairs roportioned so that the y one against the other.

Each pair of pins 25 and 26, is housed in a rin; hearing 27, \vhie'h holds the pins isnn'gly one against the other, and permits the pins 213. to revolve about the pins 25, as the gear 8, is turned ahout the hearing 17. The hands 5 or rings 27, whirh (-onnert the pins and 2G, compel the disk 23. to turn with the gear H, and on arvount of the ereentriral relation of the gear 8, and the shaft 5, the pins 25, lo their rotation about the hearing t7, constantly approach or retreat from the axis ot'the sha it .3, so that at one point inthe revolution, a pin26,'is at the outer 'Side'of the piirzfi, and as the gear R is turnml the pin fdfijgradually approaches the axis of the shaft 5, and movesamundthe 'piniifi, until at the BllYlfll' the half rev'olntion'the pin 2G.'is attheinner side ofthe pin 25, and thei'ollowing halt revolutionmoves the'pin 26, farther around the pin :25, until at the end of theeomplete i'eiolntiilinlit is again at a point at the outer side of the pin 25;

\Vith the pins and rings arranged as shown in Fig. L some oi the pins 26. are bearing against their eoinpanion pins 25 to rau'seinov'einent of the'shaft 5, and sonieo'l' the "pins 26; are hearing; against the inner fare of'the rin and exerting a pull on the companion pins 25, to cause movement of the shaft 5. \Vith"thisronstrnetion there is a nn'iform' distribution of power from 'thh gearR, arol'tnd the disk 23, Whiehtendsto mm thief shaft 5, and the shaft iris caused to move evenly and uniformly with the movement of the gear 8. Referring to Fig. 7 in which shown a modified-"form of connector for the gear 8, and the pla'te lg th e gear 8, is provided with pins 28 extendiiig outwardly toward the plate 23, and tapered to a smaller diameter attlreir onter ends than adjacent the "gear 8. E5011 'pih 29, which pmfieots inwardly from the disk 23, is expanded frot'r'i'ti point adjacerffithhflislt"23;to a lar et diameter at"the onte FniitheIeofneftto thegea'r 8. sothat 15* the piils' 29 a1id29; have similarly arranged ('onieal oi'tiiifitwhihh beai to'gethefiaro'nnd' th'eirlia nan-a tart ta er-from the tzez'tr fl to a smaller diameter; 'asshov'vn" in Figi '7. V The plate Qfi," is spaced from 'the*"gea*r"& sulfit'iiitlj sothattlieplate BUymay he in mipaeea'heevm the plate 23 J and "th e gear 8,}1nd t he plat'iio is rander with perforanets-an throit h whi h'the pins 29; extend. I inhetposed het i eii the plate 530i and'th'e di t 23'{is a 'hoiledspring321-Whieh con stats force's theplate aorinwardly toward the gear 8, andfbnthe' lnnerfa'ce'of the plate sni slm-mmaisgsaet pair of 'pinseamia 29; is "2i rir'f fififwhiklh engagesnie tapered pilis' ina 9,sohs"to'holdtheni in slimmer anti tak'e -iip 'any weaWorimsefiess: The ages kviiiat jrarahw have their i'nher" neemimaimd tit theater otthepinsEZ'S and Q9."are"lolis-frt*in the plate 30; and the geii 8fand plate23jrettilve art-*swiing" ahont the pins 29,- as"tln-i pihs li. rotate around the pins 2%), and are at all times held in close eontaet with both pins and hoth pins are areordiugly held in rlose relation by reason of the tension exerted hy the spring 32. against the plate 30.

In Figs. 8 and 9, \vhirh illustrate another Illrnliihiitloi! of this invention the pins 34'. on the gear 8. and'the pins 2&5, on the plate 2? are similar to the pins 25 and 2th of the Figs. 3, 4 and .7 previonsl desrrilwrh but are separated from eontaet with one another and are pivotally connected by means oi the halt hearings 36. which ei'nbraee the two pins 34 and 3-")- and are held together hr means of the spring 37.

s u These half hearings 36 are spaced slightly and held apart hy the engagement of the pinsiit and 3fi thermvith, this eonstruetion heing' provided so that the springs 37. will eause the bear= ings 36. to exert a constant pressure on the pins PM and 35. to n'event loo'seness and take up any Wear.

It is thought that the operatiol'l oi the device Will be Clearly understood from the foregoing description and'With-out an fur ther explanation, and it is also to be understood that-While I have illustrated my in vention in connection with certain shafts of an engine, I contemplate using the invention. in anfs ease'where a belt tighteneris required or wherein a change is'req'nireii in the spaeingof driving and the driven memhers without (hanging the relation or spae' ingof the shafts which they operate.

I am aware thatthe details of eonstrnbtion may he varierhthrough a Wide range; without departing from the print'iples oi this invention. T theretorerlo not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I elaini'as'my invention:

l. The combination of a rotary shaft," a normally fixed em-entrie adjnstal'ile airmlarly thereon. a rotary member moi'mteld tn said ecrentrim a disk secured to sit-id shhi t and rotatable therewith. and means disposed between said rotary member and disk for imparting mhtion'from one of said parts'to the oth er in any position ofadjnstment ot said ereentrie.

2-. The 'eor'nhination of a rotarymemhen a serond niemher rotatable ectentriraily ahont thefirst' mernheri'andsp'ring pressed means (-onnerting' the! said tiembers' for o emtinyrone of the members condnrrentiy froin th e'other of saidfinefnbetsi" 3. Thtombimtton of'a rota member, a second nieinher rotatableeeeehtriea'llfy aheat th'e 'first mentioned member, connectors on the s ar hiembdrsfnnd'spring waste-means engagingthe c'onneetors foroperatin one of' tll ineinh'lsmusement! frqm tne thee memtern i 4; "The combination "of a rotary memberee- 190 bearing extending eccentrically around the said rotary member, a member mounted on the said eccentric bearing so as to rotate eccentrically around the first mentioned ro tary member, and resilient means connecting the said members so as to operate one of the said members concurrently from the other member.

5. The combination of a rotary shaft, a normally fixed eccentric adjustable circularly thereon, a rotary member mounted on the eccentric, a disk secured to the shaft and rotatable therewith, a series of laterally extending conical pins on said member, a secend CUI'I'BSPOIldlll series of conical pins laterally extending rom said disk, 21 series of rings having conical inner faces surrounding pairs of pins of each of the two series, and spring means for holding said rings in contaet with said pins.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES L. RAYFIELD.

Witnesses CHARLES W. HILLS, Jr., FRED E. PAESLER. 

